FREAKIN’ MINT

No one really needs an excuse to love Blazers and Jimmys because they’re just so rad all by their lonesome. But for Cody McKelvy of Dallas, Texas, the reasons run pretty deep. “I’ve seen photos of my great grandfather, grandfather, and my dad, all in different 73-78 K5 Blazers or Jimmys. So naturally, my dad put me in a 1990 K5 Blazer 4WD as a first car, and I have a ton of fond memories of him helping me add nine inches of lift with 38-inch Super Swampers. I got rid of that ride when I was 18 and have wanted to be back in one ever since.” 

The story of how that would eventually happen is actually one of those serendipitous “full circle” type deals that you read about in… wait, is Reader’s Digest still a thing? Regardless, Cody now owns one of the nicest squarebody SUVs around. We’ll let Cody continue the story about the hows and whys of having Hill’s Hot Rods and JD Glassworks build his ride.  

“In 1999 I was 18, in Lubbock, Texas, and needed a CD head unit for the truck that replaced my K5 Blazer. I tend to get obsessive with details, so I became an expert on the CD player I wanted and proceeded to shop at Lubbock’s Premier Car audio shop, at which point I got into an argument with the sales guy about what kind of output a particular Clarion head unit in his display had. After leaving me so he could go check in the back, it turned out I was right, and I was offered a sales job on the spot. Jimmy Davis (now of JD Glassworks) was the hiring manager, and I had the time of my life selling basic to high end car audio systems in Lubbock under Jimmy, who basically helped teach me life skills that I use in my profession today. It was through that experience that I was first introduced to Jason Hill from Hill’s Hot Rods. Basically, for the last 20 years I’ve been patiently waiting for the right time that I could partner up with Jason and Jimmy to build my own ride.”

In June of 2020, Cody was already working from home, but COVID-19 (or rather, avoiding it) was quickly becoming a part of everyone’s daily routine. Roads were pretty much empty during that time, and Cody found himself driving his 2018 GMC Sierra less and less. His neighbor took notice and offered to take the truck off his hands for a decent chunk of change (remember, new car inventories were at a close to all-time low during that time). After some careful consideration, Cody realized that he could use the funds to finally get behind the wheel of a 2WD Jimmy, so a deal was struck, and he quickly gave Jason Hill a call to see if he had anything collecting dust at his shop. 

“Jason didn’t have any round eye Blazers or Jimmys in inventory, so both of us went on the hunt. A buddy sent me a fresh C10 sales listing for a 1978 factory 2WD Chevy Blazer Cheyenne that had a lot of work already dumped into it. The owner had taken this truck from a field where it was left for dead, pulled it all apart, fixed the interior rust on the floors, installed a refreshed 6.0 LQ4, bagged it, most of the Vintage Air components where there, Dakota Digital gauges installed, and from the photos the interior looked really nice. For me, time was money, so having a lot of that already in place was a good foundation.” 

As you can imagine, with Cody being quite familiar with Jason’s work, he already knew that their ideas would mesh together seamlessly. Of course, there was one aspect that both agreed should take precedence: “Jason and I were on the same page that regardless of paint job, interior, or what you spend, when you see a rad build from afar at a show, the first thing you lock in on is wheels and stance. If you muff that one, nothing else really matters.”

With that in mind, Cody ordered up a set of wheels that he had been eying for years: Forgeline CV3C in a titanium finish, built in 22×9.5 and 22×11 sizes, with fat Nitto rubber. With the foundation set and Jason and his “Crüe” ready to rock, the Blazer was transformed into everything Cody had been hoping for all these years, including modifying the Chevy grille to accept a GMC grille insert and adding bespoke “Minty Custom” badges once the Porsche Mint Green and Classic White paints were applied. Obviously, a lot more happened beneath, such as the upgraded Scott’s Hot Rods front crossmember/control arm setup and modified rear suspension, which allowed the now-Jimmy to sit even lower than before.

Once Hill’s was done with its part, it was delivered to JD Glassworks, where he teamed up with Chris Pate of Mobile Toys Inc. to execute the amazing interior. From the skillfully crafted door panels to the custom seating (which uses the OEM innards), we don’t think things could have come together more perfectly. 

Cody finally got to see his completed truck at C10 Nationals, where it was on display in the Hill’s Hot Rods booth. So how did the reveal go? Well, Cody’s kids were arguably more excited than he was! “My two little girls were freaking out and immediately walked over the seats to sit in the back. I can’t wait to take them to school in it!” And oh yeah, it also took home Best SUV!